Home Remodel: Do, Don'ts, Advice

[::: :::]

I can only guess it’s a peninsula standing counter so that’s all knee space
You could still make it storage tho instead of wasting it

[ötzi]

Solid attention to detail.

Seriously though.

It takes someone special to play a joke that won't happen for 20 years and which they'll never hear about.

[Djongo Unchained]

I'm in the market for getting my house stained. Entire house is cedar siding. House is 3k sq feet and two stories. As best I can tell, it was last stained in 2018 before I owned the house.

After asking around and talking to four contractors, I got two quotes- one at $13k, one at $5600. Others didn't get back to me in a reasonable timeframe.

Both companies have 8+ year in the trades. Cheaper guy and his crew also sub as painters and masons for some of the high end builds in Jackson and Teton Valley. Both want to use the same Cabot semi solid stain that was used on my house previously.

Cheaper guy is local and grew up here and has better connections to labor. More expensive guy moved here a couple years ago.

Cheaper guy wants to do 1 coat by hand brush wafter pressure washer prep work on siding and sanding prep on fascia. Cabot instructions
for semi solid stain reference one coat being sufficient for restraining application on top of original stain.

More expensive guy wants to do two coats with a sprayer and prep with only pressure washer.

The other issue I'm having is that the accent and fascia were originally stained with acrylic stain for some reason. Fascia is 8 inches and plumb (vertical, instead of square and 90 degrees to the roof slope) so snow tends to stick to it and rub off the stain.

I'm looking to move to oil based stain on accents and fascia for better protection, and also got a quote from a roofing company to add metal flashing to all fascia to protect against snow and running water ($4k).

The crew who built my house back in 2007 are currently building in the neighborhood and I talked to them. They said they got in an argument with the original owner, who insisted on plumb fascia when they recommended square (ugh).

Neighbors have told me to go with cheaper option because even with two coats you still have to stain ever couple years up here anyway.

I like both contractors but I'm planning to move forward with the cheaper option and consider the $4k upgrade to metal flashing on fascia.

Am I missing something here? Is there any reason to pay >2x as much for the more expensive crew?

The neighbor's point about doing it every few years regardless, is spot on.

Instead of fretting about a product that is more durable, lasts longer, etc., it's a better look to just refresh every few years or do the annual rotation. West side this year, East side next year and so on...
( that's not to say just get the cheap stuff...)

The best protection is well applied layers.
And back brushing is key.

I'd go the cheaper route fosho on this.

[KQ]

I'm in the market for getting my house stained. Entire house is cedar siding. House is 3k sq feet and two stories. As best I can tell, it was last stained in 2018 before I owned the house.

After asking around and talking to four contractors, I got two quotes- one at $13k, one at $5600. Others didn't get back to me in a reasonable timeframe.

Both companies have 8+ year in the trades. Cheaper guy and his crew also sub as painters and masons for some of the high end builds in Jackson and Teton Valley. Both want to use the same Cabot semi solid stain that was used on my house previously.

Cheaper guy is local and grew up here and has better connections to labor. More expensive guy moved here a couple years ago.

Cheaper guy wants to do 1 coat by hand brush wafter pressure washer prep work on siding and sanding prep on fascia. Cabot instructions
for semi solid stain reference one coat being sufficient for restraining application on top of original stain.

My house is cedar siding stained with Flood CWF-UV. Hand application. It was new unstained cedar so I can't speak to restaining issues but the Flood has held up well to our harsh summers/winters

[tuco]

Is the fascia rough or smooth cedar? Gonna be smoove after it gets sanded. Proper way to prep rough cedar is wire brush sun exposed substrates to remove old sun dried tint(which is your UV protection in stain) and oxidized wood fibre. Then wash.
Oil stains(linseed,tung, etc based) also add elasticity back to your cedar. Helps keep the cedar from cracking
Sprayed ext.stain with no backbrush is going to look splotchy(like shit) and not give you proper protection.
Sounds like cheaper dude is going to do a better job.

[fastfred]

always choose the cheapest bid

[Vt-Freeheel]

Oh boy


https://gagadget-com.cdn.ampproject....ill-be-high%2F

[Kevo]

Thanks very much, everyone. Fascia is maybe rough ish but hard to tell what it was originally. The combination of plumb fascia, it being 8 inches in height and the acrylic stain on fascia makes so much snow stick to it and rub it a bit. It's a major wtf. I don't really care if it ends up smooth. I think maybe it'll last longer that way? I'm worried that wire brushing it will make more snow stick to it which I def don't want.

The siding itself is fairly smooth. One neighbor doesn't think it is original. He thinks it was installed a few years before I bought this house.

It's been pretty cool taking to the guys who built my house back in the day. They are currently building a house next door and I let their electrician tap into our power at our service box so they don't have to run a generator. In exchange, the couple that house is being built for are paying our power bill and we don't have to hear generator noise. The GC and his crew are a wealth of knowledge and its been fun learning about the process shooting the shit with them. They've been building houses together for 15+ years and get after it on mountain bikes.

I've learned a lot about what I like and don't like through my short-ish tenure as a homeowner. If I ever build a custom house it'll definitely have square fascia instead of plumb.

[RootSkier]

Just throwing this out there, Kevo. Cedar wants to turn gray. If you pick a stain that has a gray base, it will often look better for a longer period of time, IMO. Doesn't matter if it's a blueish gray, greenish gray, or regular gray.

[spanky]

Somewhat of a home remodel question... I have a portable Skil table saw (TS6307) that has a max dado stack width of 5/8". I need to cut an 11/16" wide x 5/16" deep dado down the center of some mahogany 2x4's. My dado set can do 11/16" but the saw is rated to only 5/8". From what I can tell, the 11/16" dado stack fits "with room to spare" on the table saw spindle and clears all openings. Am I really risking anything running the dado 1/16" wider than the advertised max? I gather I could alternatively do two passes in opposite directions at 5/8".

Edit: There are still threads showing beyond the arbor nut (that came with the dado set for the saw).

Edit 2: These are 8" dado blades (as recommended in the manual). I suppose this is less a question of fit and more a question of if the saw has enough power to take that much material.

[Kevo]

Just throwing this out there, Kevo. Cedar wants to turn gray. If you pick a stain that has a gray base, it will often look better for a longer period of time, IMO. Doesn't matter if it's a blueish gray, greenish gray, or regular gray.

Thanks! My house is luckily already a gray/ dark gray trim color scheme.

[dan_pdx]

Somewhat of a home remodel question... I have a portable Skil table saw (TS6307) that has a max dado stack width of 5/8". I need to cut an 11/16" wide x 5/16" deep dado down the center of some mahogany 2x4's. My dado set can do 11/16" but the saw is rated to only 5/8". From what I can tell, the 11/16" dado stack fits "with room to spare" on the table saw spindle and clears all openings. Am I really risking anything running the dado 1/16" wider than the advertised max? I gather I could alternatively do two passes in opposite directions at 5/8".

Edit: There are still threads showing beyond the arbor nut (that came with the dado set for the saw).

Edit 2: These are 8" dado blades (as recommended in the manual). I suppose this is less a question of fit and more a question of if the saw has enough power to take that much material.

If you're worried about power, just do an initial pass or passes at a shallower depth, right?

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

You can cut your GROOVE with two passes by flipping the board around for the second pass, which you should be doing anyway if you want it true center.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Dado - across the grain
Groove - with the grain
Rabbet - edge of board

[Not DJSapp]

You can cut your GROOVE with two passes by flipping the board around for the second pass, which you should be doing anyway if you want it true center.

Ding Ding Ding! Winner. Just put in 3/8" worth of blade and make 2 passes. You'll get true center and you'll get a cleaner bottom of the groove (higher concentration of flat top teeth)

[spanky]

Dado - across the grain
Groove - with the grain
Rabbet - edge of board

D'oh! So, not a dado, but a groove down the center of a mahogany 2x4. Thanks!

[spanky]

You can cut your GROOVE with two passes by flipping the board around for the second pass, which you should be doing anyway if you want it true center.

Ding Ding Ding! Winner. Just put in 3/8" worth of blade and make 2 passes. You'll get true center and you'll get a cleaner bottom of the groove (higher concentration of flat top teeth)

I'll give the double pass method a go!

[mattig]

I had that exact same issue. The shut off valve was only about 10 years old, but the rubber seals inside fell apart and pieces of it clogged the dishwasher fill valve. In my case, that shut off valve was never used - when it fell apart, it might have been the first time I'd used it since it was installed. Did yours see more action?

Nah, never touched the damn thing.

[dunfree]

Somewhat of a home remodel question... I have a portable Skil table saw (TS6307) that has a max dado stack width of 5/8". I need to cut an 11/16" wide x 5/16" deep dado down the center of some mahogany 2x4's. My dado set can do 11/16" but the saw is rated to only 5/8". From what I can tell, the 11/16" dado stack fits "with room to spare" on the table saw spindle and clears all openings. Am I really risking anything running the dado 1/16" wider than the advertised max? I gather I could alternatively do two passes in opposite directions at 5/8".

Edit: There are still threads showing beyond the arbor nut (that came with the dado set for the saw).

Edit 2: These are 8" dado blades (as recommended in the manual). I suppose this is less a question of fit and more a question of if the saw has enough power to take that much material.

I have that saw. If you bought the dado kit with the thinner nut The problem you’ll have at 11/16” is it doesn’t have the balls to cut and the blade might deflect under heavy load so you’ll get a slightly irregular bottom to your cut. Evidence: cutting 1/2” grooves in rock maple

[spanky]

I have that saw. If you bought the dado kit with the thinner nut The problem you’ll have at 11/16” is it doesn’t have the balls to cut and the blade might deflect under heavy load so you’ll get a slightly irregular bottom to your cut. Evidence: cutting 1/2” grooves in rock maple

Yeah. The standard Skil dado kit and a freud 8” dado set.

[Core Shot]

Yeah. The standard Skil dado kit and a freud 8” dado set.

You know what Freud said about dado’s

[half-fast]

I bought a dado set. My wife was looking at the bill and said “what’s a dadoo?”

[XXX-er]

I don't care what anyone sez I like aluminium siding, the guy I bought the house from sprayed it in a day or so and i think i will get him to do it again

[zion zig zag]

HVAC question here. 2000 square foot house, the downstairs is essentially one big room with high ceilings, upstairs is a single bedroom that used to be a loft that was closed in, maybe 300-400 sq ft. So the door to the loft bedroom opens to the large open area below, open stair well. No duct work in the house since its all radiant floor heat and cast iron stove for heat.

I have been kicking around the idea of installing a ductless mini split a/c in the upstairs bedroom for the a/c aspect only. I know you typically don't want to oversize an a/c because it will short cycle and not remove humidity, in this case dry climate with little daytime humidity and the cool should easily migrate with an open door. The difference in price between 12k-18k-24k btu units is minimal and I'm leaning towards 18k btu which is about double what I'd need for just the bedroom. Any reason to not oversize in this case, what am I missing?

[Core Shot]

I’m not doing any calculations but it seems like you have.

I’d go larger on the theory that all that cold air can sink to the first floor if needed.

Oversized air handlers can ice up. Mini splits should be fine slightly oversized. True they run less minutes. But you can compensate by having the fan on all the time so you feel the breeze in bed.